Posts from the ‘Paying for Care’ Category

May 31

What to look for in a home health agency

The goal of providing healthcare at home is to care for an illness or injury in a patient’s home environment. A familiar environment contributes to maintaining a positive outlook and often results in a more speedy recovery.

However, all home health agencies are not created equal. When choosing an in-home health agency, be sure to do research and know what questions to ask, because they will be taking care of you or your loved one and coming into your home.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a home health agency.

Consider the services they provide

Make sure the home health agency offers the services that best fit your needs. A variety of home care services may be offered including:

• Skilled nursing

• Rehabilitation therapy services: Physical, occupational and speech therapies, balance management, etc.

• Home health aide services: bathing, dressing, meal preparation, companionship, housekeeping, errands

• Medical social services: counseling, community resource coordination, etc.

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Jan 26

Resources that can help you pay for home health care

Caregiving for a loved one is an expensive proposition, but there are hundreds of federal, state and local government programs designed to lend a hand, and sometimes a big one.
You’ll need a computer to do this research—head to your local public library if you don’t have one at home. Start your investigation with these two sites:
www.Benefitscheckup.org – This free site is a service of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), designed to help adults over 55 who need help paying for prescription drugs, health care, utilities and other basic needs. There are over 2,000 federal, state and private benefits programs available to help. But many people don’t know these programs exist or how they can apply.
www.Benefits.gov – In this one site, users can access information on nearly 1,000 government benefit and assistance programs. You’ll need lots of info to get started: your parent’s disability status, income, property owned, veteran status and education level. Use that to fill out the online form and afterwards, you’ll have lists of government programs, supplements and/or services.
Here is a guide to some heavy-hitting programs, agencies and people you should know about.